<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> If Shaq did want to share, he wouldn't have told the media that he doesn't get the ball enough. Saying that they could've won if "the ball was thrown to me more often" is just saying that the Lakers can't do it without Shaq, which is a bad thing to say when you have three other top-quality players on your team. </div> Exactly. Why blast someone through the media? If you're gonna complain about not getting the ball, complain to your coach in practices! You see your teammates almost everyday in the regular season, and since Shaq was the leader, he should have just let it out in the practices or someplace where the media is NOT allowed. Venting through the media is stupid, cause it makes things tenser for your team and now the media will be snooping around and getting ready to twist any little thing you say, which will create more tension and animosity.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Exactly. Why blast someone through the media? If you're gonna complain about not getting the ball, complain to your coach in practices! You see your teammates almost everyday in the regular season, and since Shaq was the leader, he should have just let it out in the practices or someplace where the media is NOT allowed. Venting through the media is stupid, cause it makes things tenser for your team and now the media will be snooping around and getting ready to twist any little thing you say, which will create more tension and animosity.</div> great post. *claps respectfully*
You guys are a bunch of hypocrites. Diss Shaq on one side and praise Kobe on the other? Kobe isn't selfish? What was all of his talk about wanting a team of his own? All the drama 'Of will Kobe resign'? Give me a break..if Shaq is selfish then Kobe is moreso if not worse. I saw where someone said the Lakers made Shaq what he is? Give me a break...if anything Shaq carried the Lakers and made them into 3 time champs. I don't like Shaq,but give credit where credit is due and take off the blinders. If you are gonna hold anything against Shaq do the same for Kobe because his selfishness is every bit as glaring as Shaq's.
I didn't see Shaq flying from Denver to Los Angeles, just to make the game. I didn't see Shaq laying on a table with an IV in him, because he was exhausted and dehydrated. I didn't see Shaq hit the game winner in Game 2 against the Pistons, hit two threes (one a game winner) against the Blazers to put the Lakers up to a higher seed in the playoffs, or do everything he could possibly do to keep the Lakers in the spotlight. Lazy Shaq...letting PG's drive the lane and hit shots over him. Sure, Payton didn't play his part...but the Shaq of the 90's would NEVER let Billups, Parker, or Francis drive and throw shots off the backboard against him. His play is declining, and that's the main point. Our organization kept the best player, no doubt...the one that would be better off leading a team to a victory. Don't sit there and say he took the Lakers to the championship...because he did have Kobe, also...and it has yet to be proven that they can do it by themselves.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> I saw where someone said the Lakers made Shaq what he is? Give me a break...if anything Shaq carried the Lakers and made them into 3 time champs. I don't like Shaq,but give credit where credit is due and take off the blinders. If you are gonna hold anything against Shaq do the same for Kobe because his selfishness is every bit as glaring as Shaq's. </div> Shaq led the Lakers to those first two championships, no doubt about that. He was THE MAIN FACTOR in those two, neither the Sixers nor the Pacers had an answer for him, he was just....Shaq. By the 3rd championship though, Kobe had matured into a leader as well and was just as big as a part as Shaq into leading them to that championship. The first two, Shaq definetly deserved the MVPS and all, but by the third year Kobe was ready to surpass. Kobe/Shaq still have yet to prove they can survive without each other. Shaq getting in shape all of a sudden and having a renewed commitment to basketball isn't a good way to say goodbye to Laker fans. Now we're thinking: he couldn't do that in LA? I give credit where credit is due because Shaq was the main factor in all 3 championships (the 3rd one was shared with Kobe) but after that he has really been declining not only in performance but commitment as well, wheras Kobe continues to work hard and push himself to his limits. Yes, Kobe and Shaq are both selfish to an equal extent but the management made a good choice in picking Kobe over Shaq, and many Laker fans feel the same, even though they are greatful for all the joy Shaq brought in the past, it's time to move on.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting realdealbneal:</div><div class="quote_post">I didn't see Shaq flying from Denver to Los Angeles, just to make the game. I didn't see Shaq laying on a table with an IV in him, because he was exhausted and dehydrated. I didn't see Shaq hit the game winner in Game 2 against the Pistons, hit two threes (one a game winner) against the Blazers to put the Lakers up to a higher seed in the playoffs, or do everything he could possibly do to keep the Lakers in the spotlight. Lazy Shaq...letting PG's drive the lane and hit shots over him. Sure, Payton didn't play his part...but the Shaq of the 90's would NEVER let Billups, Parker, or Francis drive and throw shots off the backboard against him. His play is declining, and that's the main point. Our organization kept the best player, no doubt...the one that would be better off leading a team to a victory. Don't sit there and say he took the Lakers to the championship...because he did have Kobe, also...and it has yet to be proven that they can do it by themselves.</div> I'll sit here and say it because I watched it. 98% of the Lakers success is attributed to Shaq. Why? Hes the most dominant player in the game right now. And why was Kobe able to score most of his points? Because Shaq was double and triple teamed,freeing up Kobe to do what he wanted. Shaq was lackluster this season,but you can't use one season against Shaq and say he wasn't the reason the Lakers had their success. Without Shaq the Lakers wouldnt have went anywhere and that includes the losing Finals effort this season. Bottomline,Kobe is just as selfish..just as greedy and just as much to blame as Shaq for anything the befell the Lakers. For you guys to say otherwise is ludicrous.
And I didn't watch it? If the Sixers, Pacers and Nets had centers like Yao and Ben Wallace, Shaq wouldn't have done what he did. Sure, he did great in the Finals...because his only competition was Dikembe Mutombo who, yes, was the DPOY at the time...but had no body compared to Shaq. Kobe had to fight against superstar backcourts that were not letting up just because Shaq was in the paint. Yeah, Shaq is considered great because of his Finals performances and what-not...well, he would've been destroyed and picked apart by Mr. Hakeem Olajuwon like he was in the Finals back then with the Magic. How do you explain that? Kobe helps Shaq out alot, too...don't leave that out.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting realdealbneal:</div><div class="quote_post">would've been destroyed and picked apart by Mr. Hakeem Olajuwon like he was in the Finals back then with the Magic. How do you explain that?</div> How do I explain that? Well maybe because at the time Shaq had been in the League all 2-3 years and Hakeem was the best player in the game. You cannot hold that against Shaq,being dominated by Hakeem. Thats like me holding those airballs against Kobe when he was just in the League two years or so. And you bringin' the IFs in the mix is a moot point. Alot of ifs..if Kobe had kept his pants on instead of involving himself in an extramarital affair then the team might have done better without all the distraction. Lots of ifs that aren't applicable now.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> I'll sit here and say it because I watched it. 98% of the Lakers success is attributed to Shaq. Why? Hes the most dominant player in the game right now. And why was Kobe able to score most of his points? Because Shaq was double and triple teamed,freeing up Kobe to do what he wanted. </div> Maybe in the first two championships but not now. I have the some of the games against Minnesota and much of the ones against Houston on tape. BOTH of them were double and tripled team almost every single posession, Kobe more so because if he even got NEAR that lane, he would get swarmed by atleast four Rockets/Wolves players. Yet he still manages to score a high amount of points. Shaq was also doing the same, not as high, but he was scoring as well. Attributing 98% is of the Lakers sucess to Shaq is absurd. For THIS year's playoffs, I would give 45% of the credit to Shaq, 50% of the credit to Kobe and the last five to the rest of the players. In the previous years (1st and 2nd championships), Shaq contributed around 70% or so, Kobe played around a 20% role and the bench/role players (who could actually knock down a couple of jumpers and score when needed) played a pivotal 10% (see Derek Fisher in 2001). Shaq was most effective those first three (with Kobe being just as effective in the 3rd championship run) years, but as we witnessed in this years playoffs, he was not so consistent. He would have one game with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks, the next he'd have 11 points and 6 rebounds. 98% is like saying he did EVERYTHING out there on the floor. It wasn't Shaq knocking down clutch jumpers and key freethrows (but it wasn't JUST Kobe either).
